We’re excited to be offering Mesotherapy for our equine patients. If you’ve never heard of mesotherapy the following is some information on the procedure.
What is mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy is a series of small injections into the mesoderm (middle layer of the skin). This technique was developed in France in 1950s for people with back pain and has been used on horses in the US since the early 2000s. Small amounts of diluted medications are injected in painful areas of the neck and back. The goal of theses injections are to break the pain cycle and help muscles relax and function in a more normal way.
How is mesotherapy performed?
For the procedure the horse is sedated, the area to be injected is cleaned using surgical scrub techniques. Specialized small needles are then placed into the back and small injections are done down the back or neck in the area of pain.
How quickly are results seen and how often are treatments needed?
Improvement is usually seen within 7-10 days.
It is recommended that you do not wash or put anything on the back for 24-48 hours.
The number of treatments can vary depending on the horse, how long the horse has been painful, if there are underlying conditions and other variables.
What conditions can mesotherapy help?
Mesotherapy can be useful for the following conditions:
Sacroiliac pain
Kissing spint
Arthritis of back and neck
Neck/back stiffness
Generalized back discomfort
It is important that any underlying pain issues not related to the back are addressed before mesotherapy is used. Horses should have a complete lameness exam and any lameness issues should be addressed as these can often be the cause of back pain.
Are there side effects or complications with mesotherapy treatment?
Possible complications are relatively few. The needles are only going into the skin layer and the main complications can be hair coat color change (if steroids are used) and/or infection at injection sites.
If you think mesotherapy might help your horse or you would like more information please feel free to contact us.
